Global Warming

Global
Warming is the increase of Earth's average surface temperature due to effect of
greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or
from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth.
This is a type of greenhouse effect.

Causes of Global
Warming

Natural Causes-
Natural causes are causes created by nature. One natural cause is a release of
methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas. A
greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the earth's atmosphere. Another
natural cause is that the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This
climate change usually lasts about 40,000 years.

Man-made Causes-
There are many man-made causes. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made
problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one
thing that causes pollution. Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such
as coal, or oil. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas
called CO2. Also mining coal and oil allows methane to escape. How does it
escape? Methane is naturally in the ground. When coal or oil is mined you have
to dig up the earth a little. When you dig up the fossil fuels you dig up the
methane as well.

Another major
man-made cause of Global Warming is population. High population means more
food requirements, and more methods of transportation. That means more methane
because there will be more burning of fossil fuels.

Effects of Global
Warming

Some of the brutal
effects seen as a result of global warming across the world are:

Melting
of ice in the ice dominated areas of earth such as West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice can be seen. These
include the melting of mountain glaciers and ice sheets covering.

The
number of Adélie penguins found in Antarctica,
has declined from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in last 30 years.

An
increase in the level of sea has been observed due to melting of sea ice
over the last century.

A
number of organisms such as butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have
moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.

The
average precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) has increased across the
globe at a significant rate.

The
number of Spruce bark beetles has increased significantly in Alaska due to
continuous warm summers. These insects have destroyed up 4 million acres
of spruce trees.

Some of the other
effects of global warming that are expected in near future are:

Rise
in Sea levels is expected to be 18 and 59 centimeters by the end of the
century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 10 to 20
centimeters.

Often
Hurricanes and other catastrophic storms are likely to become common.

Species
living in a symbiotic relationship may loose their synchronization.

Conditions
of floods and droughts will become more common and often as a result of
decrease in the rainfall.

Availability
of fresh water is likely to decrease with time. It is predicted that if
the Quelccaya ice cap of Peru
continues melting at this rate, it will completely melt by 2100.

Some
diseases will spread such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.

Eco-systems
will be affected to a greater extent leading to extinction and rise of
many species.

EL NINO

El Niño refers to the extensive warming of the central and
eastern Pacific that leads to a major shift in weather patterns across the
Pacific. In Australia
(particularly eastern Australia),
El Niño events are associated with an increased probability of drier
conditions.

Changes to the
atmosphere and ocean circulation during El Niño events include:

Warmer
than normal ocean temperatures across the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Monitoring
these changes help to detect an El Niño event and forecast its lifetime.

The Southern
Oscillation Index, or SOI, gives an indication of the development and
intensity of El Niño or La Niña events in the Pacific
Ocean. The SOI is calculated using the pressure differences
between Tahiti and Darwin.

The Government of India brought into effect Bharat
Emission Norms for vehicular emission in 2000 following the European Norms of
the European Union.